Department of Land and Natural Resources

(HILO, HAWAI‘I) – You usually hear them before you see them.  There’s no mistaking the loud and often times synchronized cacophony of caws from eleven ‘Alalā released into a Hawai‘i Island Natural Area Reserve (NAR) last fall. These birds, seven young males and four young females, represent what conservationists hope is the beginning of a recovered population of the endangered Hawaiian crow on the island.  ‘Alalā have been extinct in the wild since 2002. Since the birds took flight from a remote forest aviary in September and October 2017, they’ve been under the daily, watchful eyes of a monitoring team from the Hawai‘i Endangered Conservation Program, a field program of the San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG).  In partnership with the Hawai‘i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others, SDZG reared the ‘Alalā at its centers on the Big Island and on Maui.

(LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I) --   This winter, the Wailua Management Road (aka.Loop Road), which leads to Kaua‘i’s Blue Hole area, has experienced severe damage due to heavy rains and falling trees. The road was closed on November 26, 2017 to all public access (foot and vehicular travel) beyond the point popularly known as “Jurassic” gate, due to hazardous road conditions. 

KAHULUI --  A project to remove and trim hazardous trees within the Waihou Springs State Forest Reserve along the Olinda and Piiholo road corridor began yesterday and is anticipated to take between five to seven days between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.  There will be no road closures, however there may be temporary stoppage of vehicular traffic lasting no more than five minutes.

HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces a shorter hunting season for the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) in the State of Hawaii. To comply with federal mandates, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and to meet current state regulations, the last day for hunting mourning dove is now January 17, 2018.

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), in partnership with the Division of State Parks is updating the master plan for the Kawainui-Hāmākua project area. Various improvements are proposed that are addressed in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) published on December 8, 2017.

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Nā Ala Hele Trails and Access Program is conducting an online survey and community meeting to seek input on future planning for the Ka‘iwa Ridge Trail (commonly known as the Lanikai Pillbox Trail).

(Lihue, Kaua‘i) – A rapid assessment team comprised of experts from Island Conservation (IC), the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) non-native avian predator control team, and the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) flew to Lehua island Tuesday, after checks of motion-detecting field cameras showed the presence of two rats on the island. 

(HONOLULU) – Anyone who knows anything about Laysan Albatross knows they are among the most dedicated parents in the animal kingdom. During nesting season, as one parent sits atop an egg, the other one searches for food for their soon-to-hatch chick.  This is no easy task. Albatross prefer cold-water fish and amazingly as one parent stays home, the other flies from Hawai‘i to Alaska and back over the course of about ten days, returning with bellies full of food.

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is seeking entries in an art contest to depict a Game Mammal and Game Bird for its 2018-2019 Hawai‘i Wildlife Conservation and Game Bird Stamp.  The conservation stamp is required on the Hawai‘i state hunting license, and the game bird stamp is required for those intending to hunt game birds.  Both stamps (differing slightly in text) will be available to wildlife stamp collectors. 

(HONOLULU) – Nine employees of the Coca-Cola Company based in Hawai‘i played hooky from work today.  They volunteered on behalf of the Ko‘olau Mountains Watershed Partnership (KMWP) by hiking up a trail on the west side of the mountain range in order to plant native koa.  This was a continuation of The Coca-Cola Company’s nationwide commitment to replenish all water it uses in its bottling operations. There are two bottling plants on O‘ahu and last April the company announced it was donating $200,000 to KMWP for ungulate fencing that eventually will surround much of the sprawling Waiawa Watershed, which supplies drinking water to the majority of O‘ahu’s residents.